RTN expert Gavin Schrock provides everything you need to know about network-corrected real-time GNSS observations.
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Test Yourself
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Meet the Authors
Check out our fine lineup of writers. Each an expert in his or her field.
A 263Kb PDF of this article as it appeared in the magazine—complete with images—is available by clicking HERE
Years of planning and construction went into Beijing's iconic bird's nest stadium that is now synonymous with 2008 games. With Vancouver slated to host the Winter Games in 2010, surveyors have been hard at work helping to ready the infrastructure. Check out the story on page 12.
Diversifying
For those of you looking for ways to expand your practice, both Wendy Lathrop and Gavin Schrock have something to say on the subject of diversification this month. Schrock has also extended his teaching ability to the Internet. Those of you who enjoy "visual learning" can now watch YouTube video versions of Schrock explaining RTN components. Parlaying his comedic skills (particularly in Part 7), Schrock presents informative, short and entertaining explanations of Real Time Networks. Go to amerisurv.com and select the Video tab.
Tips & Tricks
Steven E. Weible, a Missouri LS, gives step-by-step instructions on how to use State Plane Coordinates with an inexpensive handheld GPS unit. Many of you are using these units to search for evidence, but using lats and longs. While Steven's method only applies to Transverse Mercator states, if you happen to live in such a state, you might find the ability to work directly with SPC a benefit.
A Foot in the Past . . . an Eye to the Future
Across the U.S., summer is "prime time" for Boy Scouts to work on their Surveying Merit Badge. Mike Davis wrote a nice article in the Summer 2008 Hoosier Surveyor about activities in Indiana. Here in Maryland, surveyors from the Appalachian Chapter of the Maryland Society of Surveyors met up with a group of Boy Scouts in July on the sprawling 107-acre campus of FEMA's National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The photo below shows them drawing scale maps of their surveys. Hats off to those of you across the country who volunteer your time, share your knowledge, and set your sights with an "eye to the future" for our great profession.
Marc Cheves is editor of the magazine.
A 263Kb PDF of this article as it appeared in the magazine—complete with images—is available by clicking HERE
Editorial: Conference Season
Well, it's conference season again, and I'm sure many of you have or are attending your state shows. I'm very impressed with many of our state organizations for the work they do in promoting the profession and educating surveyors. The national shows, although costly, generally provide more than the state shows in the way of presentations, seminars and the latest technology and .... Read the Article
Surveyors In History
Bryant Sturgess is a licensed surveyor and civil engineer in California. He was Chief Surveyor for the State Lands Commission under François (Bud) Uzes and Roy Minnick. Now retired after 38 years service he continues to the present as a water boundary consultant for the California State Lands Commission and the State .... Read the Article
GPS at LSU - A New Box for the Tigers
Turning a golf course into a baseball stadium for one of the nation's most successful college teams presented a number of "interesting" challenges for my employer, Buquet & LeBlanc, Inc. of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The fact that the new stadium would replace a legendary ballpark that had been the site of the Louisiana State University Fighting Tigers' success for... Read the Article
Surveyors Convert, Connect & Expand to Create a Network of Possibilities
Beginning in 1967, Van Harten Surveying (VHS) built a reputation in the City of Guelph, Ontario, Canada and surrounding communities for its ability to complete a wide range of engineering and surveying activities with speed and accuracy. The company's list of clients eventually grew to include builders, developers, lawyers, universities, utilities and government agencies. Yet... Read the Article
A Visit To Nedo
When it comes to history, the picturesque town of Dornstetten has deep roots tracing back more than twelve hundred years. Translated "thorn places"or "thorn sites", its municipal crest bears a deer antler above a thorn bush. Located at the edge of the Black Forest in southwestern Germany, the town was first mentioned in public records in .... Read the Article
Students in the Pipeline
Surveyors don't need advanced tools to see changes on the horizon for their industry. The general economic slowdown has meant challenging times today, but the future promises increased opportunities. The 20082009 edition of the Bureau of Labor and Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook contained the prediction that "Overall employment of surveyors, cartographers .... Read the Article
Vantage Point: A Wish List for Risk MAP
Map Modernization is dead, long live Risk MAP. So said a colleague while discussing the future of floodplain mapping in the United States. What he meant was that FEMA is finishing up its final year of Congressional funding for the Flood Map Modernization Program and has begun the transition toward its new Risk MAP (Mapping, Assessment, and Planning) strategy. While Map Mod tried to ... Read the Comments
Pointed Journeys
After driving until the road ends and then hiking for hours, you arrive at your goal. Are you atop a mountain peak, at a cave's entrance, or at a rare fossil dig? No, you're at a degree confluence point. There is no band, victory tape, not even a marker. You are likely to be standing in a field alongside some bored-looking cows. But you are on a unique spotwhere a line of ... Read the Article
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A “Fixed” Fight: A peek inside one construction expert’s campaign to make fixed-price contracts and cost containment the industry’s new normal: Huge cost overruns and missed deadlines have long been the accepted norm for construction project operations. But as the economy struggles to fully recover, construction expert Barry LePatner stresses that these precepts can no longer define the nation’s most inefficient industry. He provides a proposal for hardwiring construction cost containment into future projects.
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